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York Knights will be desperate to build on last weekend’s first victory of the 2024 Betfred Championship when they visit Batley Bulldogs at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium on Sunday (3pm).
York overcame rivals Bradford Bulls 25-14 at the LNER Community Stadium last time out to claim their first win of the league season, having suffered defeats in each of their first four Betfred Championship outings.
The Knights now go in search of their first away league win of 2024 and face another side that have also taken two points from their opening five rounds.
Batley’s sole league win to date has come away at Whitehaven, with a Dale Morton double inspiring a 25-12 triumph at the LEL Arena earlier this month.
The Bulldogs have however fallen to defeats in their other four league matches, losing to Featherstone Rovers (20-24), Dewsbury Rams (24-4), Halifax Panthers (18-10) and Wakefield Trinity (14-34).
This weekend’s meeting between the two sides renews a key rivalry from last season’s race to finish inside the Betfred Championship Play-Offs, with the Knights edging past Batley to final spot inside the top six by virtue of their superior points difference.
After back-to-back finishes inside the Betfred Championship Play-Offs in 2021 and 2022, Batley were unable to seal a hat-trick of appearances in the season’s climax.
Despite that disappointment, it did little to dampen the reputation built by outgoing head coach Craig Lingard, who departed for Castleford Tigers in the off-season after four seasons at the helm.
Former assistant Mark Moxon has since stepped into the breach following more than a decade as a number two.
While centre Josh Hodson and prop Samy Kibula have since followed Lingard to Castleford and half-back James Meadows has departed for fellow Betfred Super League side London Broncos, Batley have moved to strengthen their ranks with some experienced Betfred Championship operators in the form of ex-Halifax Panthers hooker Brandon Moore and former Featherstone front-rower Luke Cooper.
The Knights will be fully aware of the task facing them at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium, having won just one at Batley in 20 years, edging a mud-bathed affair 10-4 in February 2022.
Tickets for York Knights' trip to Batley Bulldogs in the Betfred Championship at the Fox's Biscuits Stadium on Sunday (3pm) are priced at £21 for Adults and Concessions, £5 for Juniors (5-17-year-olds) and FREE for Under-5s. Tickets are available to purchase online HERE.
Tickets are also available to purchase on the gate, with all seating unreserved.
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